Even when he was a small child, taking his first plane rides on his dad’s lap, Norm Campbell knew flying would play a large role in his life.
“It’s an expensive hobby, but you get hooked,” he says. “I breathe and think aviation.”
Campbell managed to turn his expensive hobby into a career, working for the last 25 years as the UC Davis airport representative. He has been the only UC Davis employee working there for the past 16 years.
Campbell’s main concern is to make sure everyone and everything within the area stays out of harm’s way. While he speaks, he is constantly vigilant, watching incoming planes and keeping an ear to his radio. “I try to stop problems before they start,” he says. “Everything I’m doing around here is for safety.”
Ensuring the safety of others was Campbell’s goal in his early 20’s, too, when he was gaining flying experience in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He served for two years in the military, including three months of flying assault helicopters overseas; and ultimately he was involved in the famous Tet Offensive in Hué, Vietnam, in 1968.
“We were the backbone of the infantry,” he says of his unit. “We flew them out of some bad situations.”
At the airport, Campbell is also responsible for runway maintenance, bookkeeping, advising pilots on weather conditions, and, of course, “making sure people stay out of other people’s parking spots.
“We’re part of TAPS after all,” he says. He also looks after Daisy, a small cocker spaniel who has been on site for some 16 years and is affectionately referred to as the airport mascot.
The airport itself has been in existence for almost 60 years and has seen its fair share of history. It was built by a farmer during World War II using the labor of German prisoners of war, Campbell says. It was donated to the university in 1950 after the farmer passed away, making Davis the only school in the UC system with an airport.
Since the university took over the airfield, its runways have been used by California governors, former President Jimmy Carter and even Prince Charles.
The airport also is home base for the Flying Farmers, an about 300-member flying club that includes as members students, staff and faculty.
“You couldn’t ask for a better place to work with the patrons coming in,” Campbell says. “I enjoy all the people. That’s the part I’ll probably miss the most when I leave.”
But Campbell will have no trouble occupying his time once he does leave, he said. An avid gardner, the Woodland resident currently has 300 roses to take care of and belongs to a rose club.
“Everyone asks me when I’m going to retire so they can have my cool job,” he says, chuckling.
Envious co-workers may have to wait a while for their chance though. Campbell sees himself working at least another five years. And why not? Very few people get to forge a career out of a favorite hobby.